


the lioness enclosure

by kathleenfergie



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Death Eaters, Deathly Hallows AU, F/M, Kissing, POV Draco Malfoy, Snatchers, Torture, War, War AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-16
Updated: 2014-06-16
Packaged: 2018-02-04 20:49:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1792756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kathleenfergie/pseuds/kathleenfergie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"They brought her in the middle of the night, screaming and cursing as she struggled against her captors."</p>
<p>Three years after Harry Potter fails to kill Voldemort in the great Battle, widowed Hermione Granger is brought before Draco Malfoy, who keeps her locked in his dungeons until the Dark Lord decides what to do with her. He knows little about the changed Gryffindor, but the coming months will tell all.</p>
<p>Oneshot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the lioness enclosure

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so this came about one night at like two am when I wanted to write my first Dramione little thing. It's not really Dramione, it just sort of follows the two characters through this situation. From the tags you can see there is kissing, but very little, sorry my loves. It is a oneshot, so I won't be updating it (I'll probably come back in two months and edit the shit out of it once I realize how bad it is) but I'm just so glad to be done because it took me so long. Oh yeah, I'm aware that the title is a piece of shit.  
> But yeah, I hope you like it and if you have suggestions just leave a comment or email me (katferg604@hotmail.com) and you can come at me with knives about how bad it is.  
> So, thanks for stopping by.  
> I don't own anything, just borrowing them for an AU.

They brought her in the middle of the night, screaming and cursing as she struggled against her captors. Why those idiots hadn't just stung her and gotten it over with, I'll never know, but I can only assume they enjoyed watching her helplessly fight. They relished in the fact that she had been captured like the animal our side perceived her to be. Her thick mane of brown curls heightened her lioness qualities, her somewhat feral behaviour highlighting the house she once belonged to at old Hogwarts.

I was surprised that the group of Snatchers that brought her in were able to even bring her down, the mighty witch that she was.

As the master of the house after my father's death - he'd thrown himself off the Manor's roof after the Battle - I was in charge of the comings and goings of the Eaters, Snatchers, and array of prisoners that saw themselves amid the brothel like state my once great childhood home had become. My own mother rarely left her wing of the house, usually only when He made a visit, and so she was never to deal with the scoundrels who infected our home.

They brought the witch before me in the front hall, her hands magically bound at her back, and I could see that she was covered in a fresh layer of blood and grime. Her captors wrinkled their noises at her Muggle blood, dusting their hands off as they threw her down before me. I could tell she struggled to hold in a moan of pain as her knees crashed against the marble floor. She, like me, still retained pride after all this time.

"Picked her up near the castle, m'lord. Seemed she was sneaking around, combing the forest for something." They all had a habit of using that title when addressing me, despite the fact that it annoyed me endlessly.

"You're dismissed."

They dispersed from the front hall, but there were still many others crowding the doorways and gazing down at her from the staircase balcony. The few moments she had to straighten herself out she spent glaring up darkly at me, her honey brown eyes surrounded by a dark hue that I understood to be exhaustion. She was thinner than the last time I had seen her and her tanned skin had reduced to a pale, sickly colour. I could sense how much she had changed since the Battle, after a countless number of her friends had died.

She was still quite beautiful, I noticed, as I always had.

I could feel the tension growing throughout the crowd and it was as if I was able to hear the tongues of males as they licked their lips, ready to feast on the Mudblood whore in front of them.

They would never have her, however, not if the Dark Lord decided her fate and killed her.

I viewed it to be an inevitable end for her, if I understood the creature who commanded me. I also knew that he would use her until her last breath if it meant Potter would come out of hiding. I knew he would. Weasley was dead, ripped apart by Greyback, and as Potter had shown time and time again, he would come to save his precious witch.

"Good evening, Miss Granger, always a pleasure," I said lightly, a smirk gracing my face. I did not greatly enjoy the sinister façade I had to support day in and day out, but it was a necessity in this house and in this war. I used to dream about dying in the inferno that had swallowed my friend, never knowing that I would be standing in front the most important Mudblood in the Wizarding world, her enslaved and I the one deciding her future.

"Malfoy." It came out in a hiss and I admired her bravado. "Enjoy being Voldemort's lap dog, do you? I bet your father would be so very proud, had he not abandoned you."

Her bold comment caused a wave of whispers to erupt around me, distinct words flitting around on snake tongues.

_Mudblood. Dark Lord. Lucius. Coward._

All of them were present, but I could not hear them all clearly as my temper flared momentarily.

Despite the façade, I am not gentle, and I never will be. I am not appreciative of those who insult me, and the way I reach down and grab her by the nape of her neck, gripping the unruly, blood soaked curls in my fist reflects that.

She emitted a small gasp at the suddenness as I pulled her to her feet, my face caught up in a snarl.

I tried and will continue to try being lenient with the witch, but knowing her waspish tongue, she will set off many more flares within me.

"I am not here to entertain you in a verbal fencing match, Granger. If you would like to go ahead and continue breathing, I suggest you sew your ugly mouth shut." Her neck strained against my tight hold, but I underestimated her strength as her head propelled forward, our foreheads crashing together violently. The searing pain that spread through my cerebellum caused me to let her go and send her stumbling away.

In a moment of blind rage I pulled my wand and sent a violent curse rushing through the air, knocking her off her feet. The others laughed at the satisfying smack her body made as she connected with the ground, each limb convulsing in pain. I did not care that she was an important link in the war, that she is Undesirable No. 2, and so I would not treat her as if she were a glass figure that my mother would have coveted long ago.

As a final attack, I mercilessly kicked her in the side, her muffled cry sending another wave of snickers through the crowd.

Something stirred within me as I watched her squirm awkwardly on the ground, her arms bound behind her.

Deciding I have displayed enough violence to appease the others, I leant down towards her, trying my hardest to ignore the pounding in my skull, and I lifted her small body to carry over my shoulder. I was surprised that she did not fight against me, choosing only to moan in pain. Barking at the crowd to disperse, I carried the witch toward the descending set of stairs.

Before the darkness swallowed me, I witness a wisp of silver blond hair and my eyes meet the disapproving stare of my mother. I paused for only a moment and her steel coloured eyes radiated a message I did not wish to receive.

The others scampered out of my way as I descended to the dungeons below, their eyes glowing at the prospect of the Mudblood on my shoulder.

The so-called dungeons were once but an open, dingy cellar space that had been the seed to my now brothel like house, closed off with a magical gate. Granger had been held there once before, but since the war still trudged on, more space was needed. The Dark Lord ordered me to expand the lower floor of the Manor to accommodate the prisoners that He used for entertainment, and the whores that the men used at their disposal.

If the Weasley matriarch had not killed my aunt, I'm sure it would've been her favourite addition to the grand house.

I can tell that Granger is awake, her erratic breathing gave her away, and I am again amazed that she remains calm in my hold. Though she is horrendously intelligent, I knew her to be as stubborn as any other Gryffindor and years of interaction told me that she was usually the one to try every tactic her thick head could create.

Carrying her through the dark halls lit only by flickering sconces, I notice deranged eyes peering at me from cold cement cells. Most of them were a square of stone set into the wall, bars keeping those they held from escaping. I passed many, and a good third of them were occupied by Muggles and blood traitors, used for the Dark Lord's torture spectacles, and the others were inhabited by the whores. I could refer to them as nothing else, as there only use was for the pleasure of the filth that infested my Manor.

They were the key part of why I now called this place a brothel. Each corner of what I once called my home - except my mother's wing, warded against intruders - had been defiled by Eaters and Snatchers alike who grabbed and stretch of female flesh they could reach. I cannot recall a day in two and a half years where there was not the distant sound of screaming in the vast, magically expanded house.

As I reached the end of the long corridor, I found myself in front of a special cell that was never used. It was a dark room guarded by a tall set of carved double doors. It was the only original room in the lower half of the house, created by my ancestors to teach trespassers a lesson and it pleased Him to no end.

I flicked my wand and the doors opened into a large, high ceiling room that reached above the ground. Light would stream in the grime covered windows in a few hours time. The interior included dark green marble walls and a similar floor, but its uniqueness lay in the freestanding cage that occupied the centre of the room. The room around the iron structure was big enough to house no more than a crowd of thirty to stand and speculate.

Another swish of my wand and a section of hard iron bars disappeared, and I walked through, setting a docile Granger on the ground. Once I was on the other side of the solidified barred walls, I undid her magical ties.

She did not move to spit fiery words at me, as I expected her to, she only brought her arms in front of her to rub her raw wrists, curling in a ball on the cold floor.  
I left her in silence, setting a ward on the room which would alert me to any disobedience by the filth who inhabited my house. Setting a more reliable Death Eater to guard her, I started towards the entrance hall once more.

On my way back to the upper floors the image of my mother's pale eyes haunted me.

Weeks passed and no sign of life came from the great cell that held Granger. The Eater who guarded her reported daily, narrating the same pattern: she would eat the menial amount of food and water that was given, and then would pace her cage like a hungry lioness. I had not gone down to visit her since she was placed there, as I did not wish to squabble with her like in the old days, and I had many hunts to organize.

The Dark Lord had set a twenty year old to head his blood traitor expeditions, and if you looked at it the right way, I was essentially his heir. To what throne, I had no idea, but that it would be mine one was what led me to truly believe the Dark Lord deranged.

I would never be a leader, I knew, but I had proved myself against the permanent memory of my father's cowardly persona, and so He had entrusted his empire to me. Word of Granger's capture had amused him and for that I was content. When the snake man's misshapen mouth would curl slightly in dark enjoyment, I knew there was to be more blood staining the marble floor than my own hands.

All that matter was that He was pleased, and I knew that He would eventually come to play with the lioness in my basement. A part of me secretly wished for him to keep her alive, one reason solely for Potter's enslavement, and the other I did not know.

Why Granger still fought for that prat was a questioned I had pondered often in the last few weeks. The Boy Who Lived had barely survived through the great battle after failing to kill the Dark Lord, and his tin-pot army, made up of cripples and fools, did not know a shield from a stunner. I pitied Potter's lot and worst of all I pitied Granger. Some days I pitied her more than I hated her, and believe me I held much hatred for her strong, accusational, honey brown eyes.

Some days the Eater who stood guard for her would report her practising wandless magic; she would sit against the bars and twirl small, vapoury charms in her right hand, never making noise. It had intrigued me, but I ordered him to do nothing. If I knew Granger, it was certain that she was sending me a message.

_I am powerful. I cannot be contained._

She would not strike, not if she wanted to keep her life, and so I let her continue in swirling light among her fingertips.

* * *

The lack of disturbance from the Manor's infamous prisoner continued on. I heard her name whispered in the mess hall and in corridors when the men would wager on how long she survived. The small population of female Eaters and Snatchers that lived in my house barely spoke of her, only turning their noses up at her mention. Most often that would be followed by a Mudblood slur. I chose to ignore the curious glances they all gave me. Most of all they wondered why I had paid her no heed and why the Dark Lord had not come to find information from her. I knew it was because of his mission to create new horcruxes. The others were not smart enough to weed out His plan, but after Potter had mysteriously survived the Dark Lord's Avada I had done some research.

At the moment I was filing paperwork on each Snatcher who volunteered for the occupation. Despite the disorganized war that had gone on far longer than necessary, He liked to know who He was dealing with, and so I managed the paperwork.

I had long since stopped believing in the cause, I only followed orders for my sake and that of my mother. If it had not been for her survival, I would have left three years ago. I would have rather ran from the monster who reigned than manage my fucked up brothel-prison.

A bang on my study door caused me to pause my work, and I flicked my empty hand, opening the door to see Granger's Eater-guard.

"What?" I snapped, confused.

"It's the Mudblood, m'lord. She's begun to cause a bit of a ruckus." He hesitated. "She's been hollering for you."

I dismissed him, annoyed. What could Granger possibly want with me after almost a month in her cell? I left the papers in a dishevelled pile and threw on my robe, not wishing to greet my prisoner in such casual business attire. No doubt she was still dressed in her rugged Muggle clothing, which left so much of the witch's lithe frame to the imagination. I remembered many a potion's class when she would unbutton her tight uniform in the hope's of quelling the dungeon's damp heat. Shaking my head, I made my way down to the bowels of the Manor.

The closer I got to her cell, the more I heard her hoarse yelling. The other prisoners watched me as I walked by, their crazed faces pressed against the iron bars of their cells. Some hissed at me as I passed and I ignored them, keeping my stoic expression. Her yells were becoming clearer and I recognized my name among them. Approaching the massive doors to her cage, I flung my arm at them, cutting my wand through the air to unlock them. They flew open and I found her gripping the hard bars, her freckled face red from exertion. She exhaled heavily as she made eye contact.

"I was wondering when the fuck you'd get here." She was annoyed, I'd gathered, and she pushed away from the cage wall as I entered the room. "I've been down here for weeks, Malfoy, do you plan to just keep me here like some jailed pet?"

Granger had shed her outer jacket, leaving a thin tank top, and I wondered how she wasn't freezing down below ground while the others hunched in their cells like shivering mice.

"I'm not the one who decides your fate, Granger. You're down here because you're valuable to The Dark Lord, and I am to keep you here as long as He pleases. Did you expect daily visits from me?" I scoffed. "I have a business to run and a Manor to control." She gave me an eye roll, crossing her arms over her bosom. It was very hard not to ogle her, as she was magnificently built, despite three years of hunger hollowing out her features. She'd pulled her mass of hair up into a half hazard bun, assuming with a hair tie I'd not seen before, and there were still traces of blood in the curls.

"Yeah well I'd rather die in here with at least something to show for, not just waste away while an Eater looks at me like dessert for all hours of the day. He'd be cute if he wasn't scum." She was stalling, and I wondered if she had simply been bored this last month, eager for company. No doubt my sharp tongue proved more entertaining than the Eater's silence.

"I'm sure he'd say the same thing about you, Granger." She eyes me quizzically and I almost regret the comment.

"Yeah, well I'm married, so it doesn't matter." It came out bitterly, but when she brought her honey eyes to meet my cold, interested stare, there was a flicker of sadness in them.

"How is that, by the way? Being a widow?" I came closer to the cage, deciding to play her back and forth game. "I'll be sure to send Greyback a card."

"Just peachy, you bastard." She ignores my last comment and her face reddens again, in anger this time. I know I am winning. She is silent for a moment and I take this opportunity to lean against the hard bars of her cage. It did amuse me slightly to see her pace inside of it, like a hungry lioness. I enjoyed the comparison. She decides to lean against the opposite wall, arms still against her chest. I can see the scars along them, a network of healed and cursed wounds. The one that catches my eye is not on her arm, but runs across her left collarbone, up her neck, like frost. I know the cutting hex that caused it. She brings me out of my thoughts with a dark smile. "When is our dear Dark Lord coming for a visit, then, Malfoy? I'm starting to get bored."

Grimacing, I shrug.

"Not for me to say," I reply. "Our Lord is a man of his own whims, I only do what he says."

"Yes, I'm sure he enjoys your blind obedience." I decide to ignore the quip, sighing and looking down to inspect an invisible piece of fluff on my robe.

"Was there a point to this meeting, or did you simply need someone to hiss at?" I look up and she is smirking, usually a token I carry. It suits her, I think, the smirk. After years of her giant mouth spewing knowledge and keen words, the smirk is welcome. It means her mouth is shut. She does not respond, only continues to smirk at me. "Your lovely Eater has told me you've taken to wandless magic?" I ask, decidedly curious about her power.

"It's only a light show, for his benefit. It must get boring watching after me day in and day out. I never notice him sleeping, which is odd, and I can only think that he'd rather be off chasing skirts." She scratches at her forearm, the left one, and I know what she is itching. "Do you remember that day, Malfoy?" She asks, referring to her arm.

"Of course." How could I forget? "Although these days the memory is immaterial." A lie. "I'm sure if Aunt Bella were alive today she'd see you hanged in your very cage."

"Yes, well at this point I'd welcome it." It is a quiet comment and it leaves me perplexed. We are silent for another moment. Deciding she will not continue, I ask a question I have mulled over for years.

"How do you still fight, Granger? How do you continue when you know you cannot win?" She pauses for a moment, lazily making her way toward where I am leaning and looks up at me. She's gained little height since our Hogwarts days, though I was naturally tall, towering over her even when leaning.

"In every war, Malfoy, there is causality. Even if a war is fought in vain, it will make a difference. Half the people I knew and loved are dead because of your racist ruler. I still fight; for them and for my right to dispel the nasty term that your kind spits so fondly out of your snake-mouths."

The word she refers to is branded in my mind, and I can see the scar along her left arm, as if my crazed aunt had given it to her yesterday. The past three years have been spent remembering her tortured screams my father's former drawing-room. Her pleas glued themselves to my mind without protest and no pensieve can help me to relive them any clearer than I already do.

She brings me back into focus with a snort.

"Why do you even _care_ , Malfoy?" I can see the rage passing through her eyes and she surprises me by grabbing the hard iron bars, her pale face brought as close as she can manage to mine. "Here you have me, a Muggle _whore_ caged up in your basement. Are you not overjoyed? Has is not been your dream since the day you spat the phrase _filthy Mudblood_ at me?"

Granger doesn't realize how carelessly she accuses me, and I cannot help but be angered.

My hand shoots through the bars before I can stop myself, gripping her forearm and pulling it through the cage wall, her face forced against the rough metal. I can see the discomfort on her face and I sneer.

"Do you _really_ think that I am still the bumbling idiot I was in second year?" She tensed when I drew my wand from its holster on my arm, and I silently performed a cutting charm, gliding the tip across her speckled flesh, her blood spilling from the gash. I held up her arm, letting the hot blood run down it, watching as it seeped into the strap of her top. Rid of my wand, I wrap my hand around the cut, squeezing the dark blood into my palm. "I've carried the blood of too many to care about whether yours is _dirty_ , Granger. Don't presume to know me; I won't assume that I know anything about you despite six years of getting your knickers in a twist. You are in this cage because you sacrificed yourself for a coward of a best friend." Flashes of a black-haired classmate ran through my mind and she grit her teeth. I brought my hand away from where it was clenched around her arm, staring at the red liquid. "I may not hate you for your blood, Granger, but I despise you for the army you head."

Growling, she tugged at her arm. "I hate you."

I forget myself for a moment and thrust my bloodied hand toward her, gripping her neck tightly as she rasped for breath. I brought her against the bars again, giving her a sinister smile.

"Careful, careful, Granger. I may not be directing an Avada at you, but I am not your friend. You can't bicker with me like we did in the schoolyard, the fear of Dumbledore keeping my curses unspoken." I let go of her neck and paused, looking decidedly at the blood I had smeared into a dark red hand print. "How peculiar, it is, Granger, that you seem to care more about blood than I do, nowadays." I chuckled. "I'm sure _Pureblood_ will leave the lips of Muggleborns and Half-Bloods alike in such a way that we'll have to run for cover."

"Your point _is_ , Malfoy?"

"I just simply wonder about who it will be that will head the anti-Pureblood movement." I brought my hand down, still covered in her drying blood, looking her right in the eye. "Will it be Potter? Longbottom?" She flinches at the allegations and it sparks something inside me. "Or will it be _you_ , Granger? I've seen you kill, Hermione," I use her given name in a taunting manner and she grits her teeth. "You do it so cooly, so easily. It's like watching someone put down a rabid dog."

She looked positively outraged then, but it her face twisted and the rage turned into a smug expression.

"Yes, well, it's almost exactly the same thing, isn't it, _Draco?_ "

I take that as my cue to leave, and I do not return until the Dark Lord himself is in my home. **  
**

* * *

His presence was obvious the second he steps through wards he placed himself. The change is instantaneous, even though it is unannounced and it _is_ the middle of the night, but I watched from the balcony of the grand staircase as the whores scurried back to their cages and the Eaters tried, without much result, to clean themselves up for the Dark Lord. Always one for dramatic, he made a point of marching down the drive with Severus flanking him, the ends of their black robes flying out in the dank wind. I could see the dark duo through the large plate-glass windows that faced the front of my property.

My Godfather looked just the same as he did my first day at Hogwarts, swathed to the throat in black robes, his hooked nose creating a permanent sneer on his face as his dark eyes stared straight ahead.

Voldemort looked like death, as always, and it seemed as if his red eyes had grown on his face instead of how sunken they used to look. His lack of a proper nose caused his bald head to look even more bulbous than normal and I had to remind myself that he could kill me within a flex of his pinky before he caught me looking amused at his holiness.

I can tell Granger senses the change, as I can usually feel the low hum of her peculiar magic within the marble of my home, but the noise has stilled. I can only imagine that she is trembling in her cage, trying to compose herself for His presence. Her Eater appears beside me, silently asking for a command towards the Mudblood.

"Clean her up, get one of the women to give you clothing that will fit, and clean the blood off of her. I don't care if you have to use an Imperius, just make her presentable. Do it quickly." I looked at him closely. "I will know if you do anything to her. Do not disobey me." He nodded, leaving me to stare out the window again. It was like watching a storm come in, looking at the two men I had known my entire life.

Making my way down to the first floor, I wait in the foyer - the same foyer Granger had been sprawled upon just months ago - for him to come through the large double doors of my home. I have not seen him in some time, and when he comes through I bow low, knowing it pleases him. He's always been very physically affectionate with me, and so his white talons caress my cheek, leaving a sting of his magic as the pale hands waft over my skin. Despite the Lord's harsh ideologies and violent magical ways, he has a feather light touch. He baffles me each day.

"Draco," he crooned. "It has been too long."

"Yes, my Lord." It has always been easier to submit to him, and I have always been afraid of what he might to do to me. To my mother. "I hope that all is to your liking; I have kept records of all that have passed through here and all the prisoners." He gifted me with a snake-like smile and drifted past me. I nodded to my Godfather, who would only give me a sidelong look as he followed the Dark Lord through my home. I was anxious to mention Granger, but it had seemed if He had read my mind, turning to look at me with an expression of murderous glee.

He did not waste time getting to the point.

"I'd almost forgotten about our special guest, Draco." His red eyes lit up and he chuckled. The Eaters that were gathered around stiffened - it was difficult to tell some days whether or not the man was doing things in anger. "I do not wish to neglect my followers; however, a visit to Miss Granger is well overdue. I trust that all has been going well these months, Draco. Dismiss them."

I did as I was told and watched as the Eaters filtered out, refusing to meet my eyes as they did so. It was truly pathetic in some ways, but I understood. The Dark Lord looked back to me, inclining his head down, and I was surprised to find that he was asking me to lead the way. I bowed my head and muttered a small 'my Lord' before moving past him to descend the stairs into my dungeons. The darkness engulfed us, sconces creating flickers on the green stones. It was darker than usual, and I attributed it to His presence. He seemed to cause atmospheric magical fluctuations, the old bricks of my family's home reacting in the only way they could.

Making our way down the hall, the cries of the traitors and whores began, the terror causing them to mewl and sputter, huddling in the back of their cells. As we delved deeper they grew in volume and He laughed. The sound was followed by a soft _silencio_ in Severus' deep voice. The silence was unnerving, as I looked to the glassy eyes, the flames reflected in their dead orbs. They were crying silently, open-mouthed, with expressions of horror.

Granger's Eater bowed low as we approached him, mumbling to Him as we came to the doors.

"Are you in need of me, Master?" He asked both of me and the Dark Lord.

He answered for me.

"Keep anyone from entering."

"My Lord."

With a flick of my wand, the large doors opened to the gloomy room, and the isolated cell in the middle looked smaller than it usually did, the size of the room finally dawning on me as there was more of an audience than I. The Eater bowed low again as we entered, closing the doors behind us. My eyes were fixed on the cage in the middle, on _her._

Granger's back faced us, but her outfit had changed drastically. Her mane of hair had grown down to her waist, the curls rivaling those of my deceased aunt, however far more beautiful and luxurious. The Eater had found her a black gown to wear, a corset cinched around her waist. Her fists were clenched and I could see small flickers of light passing between her knuckles, the air crackling around her. The low hum had returned to the stones and I grinned internally, awaiting the show that was about to begin. No doubt it would be unforgettable.

I was still unsure on whether I wanted her to die.

"Good evening, Miss Granger," He said. She tensed, her head moving slightly. "I would love it if you'd meet my eye. It's hardly fair for me to have to communicate with your backside." She scoffed, slowly gracing us with a view of her front. It wasn't unlike the Dark Lord to be lewd, and so I expected more comments to come after Granger's buxom figure was revealed by the corset. Her face had been cleaned up the blood was gone from her brown hair, creating an enticing image of the Gryffindor I once knew. I think I liked her better in darker colours; all she needed was green accents to heighten the hazel qualities in her honey brown eyes.

I moved to stand to one side of the cage and she cast me a look before returning to my leader. I glanced over at my Godfather, who was staring hard at Granger, his thoughts unreadable. I wondered whether he still viewed her as the small eleven year old who raised her hand to every word he muttered; I know that sometimes it was hard for me to look at her without thinking of her clad in a uniform, a textbook under her arm and a wistful look on her face.

"We're awfully quiet today, aren't we, Miss Granger?" He commented, drifting forward towards the bars. I admired that she stayed exactly where she was, feet from the great tyrant. "Severus tells me that you are usually quite vocal." He waited for a response but she simply stared at him. "Hmm?"

Raising his wand, he cast a quick curse that caused her back to arch, her mouth opening in a silent groan. Granger grit her teeth against the magic hold, her chin thrust up in pain. He chuckled before releasing her, a quick flex of his index finger causing a small hiss in the air as the magic left Granger's body. Her body collapsed on her and in a desperate attempt to stay upright, she caught herself on the side of the cage closest to me. I could see the sweat on her brow despite the cold temperature of her prison.

Hands splayed on the bars, she looked at me with a murderous gaze.

" _Bastard_ ," she spit.

"I know," I said quietly, looking at her in mock amusement.

The Dark Lord looked at me for a moment before continuing.

"Ah, she speaks." Pausing, he cast an appreciative glance around the room. "I was not aware of such delicious accommodations, Draco. Your ancestors thought well to include such a theatre." I bowed my head.

"Thank you, my Lord," I responded. It was very trivial being in his presence. "It hadn't been used in centuries and I thought it only proper that Potter's Mudblood be your entertainment." He grinned at me devilishly. "She has been unharmed since coming here, I wanted to keep her for your delights only. Isn't that right, Granger?" She growled at me, pushing away from the bars to stand on her feet again.

"I'm sure you'd like to explore your own delights, _Malfoy_." She turned to face the Dark Lord. "Good evening, Tom, it's been awhile since I've had the pleasure."

"Ah, such a casual nature among you Mudbloods," He said darkly, the mention of his given name sparking something within him. "Although, you look rather fetching in that gown, my dear. A lioness in snake's skin, hmm? You almost look the part of my followers." Granger's own gaze darkened and she exhaled heavily. She flexed the fingers in her wand hand and I saw the small glow.

_Don't be_ stupid _, Granger,_ I thought to myself. I was not surprised when He noticed it and threw his head back, spurting forth a high-pitched laugh of delight. Immediately the light dissipated and she crossed her arms. I tried my hardest not to be distracted by how well that pushed her breasts up, the lack of undergarments causing them to be almost spilling out of the top of her dress. I made a note to give her Eater a night off for that.

"Oh, Miss Granger, I had no idea that you were so talented in the ways of wandless magic," He said to her and she stepped back, her eyes widening. "Please, go on, I'd love to see what you are capable of."

Again, she met him with silence, and I wondered what her game was.

He sighed, stepping forward and looking down at his wand.

" _Calor_ ," he hissed angrily and Granger flew forward against the cage wall, her face and body pressing painfully into the metal as it began to heat. I could see the iron grow red against her skin and her hands, splayed against the bars, developed welts. Her face turned scarlet as she fought the wish to scream; I knew if she did not appease Him soon she would be subject to much worse. He wouldn't waste a Crucio on her, knowing full well that she survived my Aunt Bella's tortures; he would use his most favourite of dark spells.

Granger began to make guttural noises as she continued to keep her mouth closed, her lips pressed into a thin line as gashes appeared on her face, the hot metal cutting into her cheeks. The magic in the air caused her hair to splay around her, creating a halo like effect of her curly brown locks. He released her from the curse, but her body was still held against the bars as they lost their fire. She panted painfully.

"Miss Granger," He began. "It would be in your best interest to give me the information that I need." She sunk down, clutching the bars as her legs collapsed. She looked up at him, and I could not see her face as she turned forward.

"I will give you nothing, you son of a bitch." I held back the laugh that grew inside me - the statement was true.

"Pity." He turned to me. "Draco, my boy, I'd like you to open this contraption for me."

I did as I was told, making eye contact with Granger.

For once, she looked afraid, and it held merit.

From there on in, the rest was pain. **  
**

* * *

The Dark Lord left my manor dissatisfied by Granger's lack of submission to his endless amount of curses. We were in that great cell for hours watching her fight against the pain of his magic. No doubt she gained more scars in that session with the Dark Lord than she had in all the war's time. When he and my Godfather left, leaving me to deal with a convulsing Granger, the Dark Lord informed me that he would give the Mudblood a month to make her decision. Either she would give information willingly or he would display her innards from Hogwarts' astronomy tower as a beacon for Potter.

She was unable to respond, let alone meet his red eyes, as she lay in a pool of her own blood on the floor, shaking and gasping. Despite hours on end of torture, however, she did not scream once; it seemed that Granger had something to prove - to the Dark Lord or to me, I did not know. She made sure to hold as much eye contact with me as she could and my mind brought me back to my drawing-room three years ago where she was in the same place; the Dark Lord didn't use any physical means to harm her, wielding only his magic, so she did not gain an additional slur carved into her skin, although I could see that her gift from my aunt bled freely, the cursed wound opening at the Dark Lord's call.

The Dark Lord had been gone for some time before she looked up at me, her eyelids fluttering between open and closed.

"Take a picture, Malfoy," she gasped. "I hear it lasts longer."

I sighed, taking out my wand.

" _Scourgify_ ," I muttered, the blood disappearing from her body and the floor. "You're an idiot, Granger, I hope you've realized that." Walking forward, I entered the enclosement, which had been left open. It wasn't like Granger could get up and walk out. "You know that you'll eventually have to tell him something." I crouched down, coming to her level.

"Never. That slimy git can kill me all he wants, he'll never get anything from me. I won't betray my friends, my husband, anyone, for him." She looked at me murderously as I played with my wand. Her tear streaked face looked awful and her once clean hair had matted again, blood hardening the curls. Her dress was ripped and the burns were clearer to me now. I reached forward and she flinched away. "What the hell do you _want_ , Malfoy?"

"Calm down, Granger, I'm only trying to heal you." I pushed apart the tatters of what was once the skirt of her short-lived dress to show the burns and cuts she suffered.

"Don't touch me!" She hissed, shuffling away from me pathetically.

"Would you like to me leave you here to bleed to death?" I snapped, gripping her leg roughly, causing her to cry out in pain. "Dammit, Granger, why couldn't you have done that earlier? He wouldn't have brought you so close to dying if you had." She groaned, looking away from me. "I'm sure Potter and your dead husband are proud," I muttered, waving my wand over her. " _Episkey._ " I frowned when only the shallow cuts healed themselves. " _Medela._ "

After performing an intricate pattern, the gashes closed and clotted, the remaining grime coming from her skin. She sighed, from pain or relief, I didn't know, as I continued, poking at the lines of burned skin, shaped like the grates of her cage. There was a substantial amount of blistering that I could not fix, but I placed a cooling spell over the worse parts, knowing full well that more pain from the burns would come later. I watched as Granger grit her teeth while I went to work on her face, bruised and swollen from all that she endured. She glared at me the entire time and I did my best not to touch her, only breaking that rule when I moved her thick hair out of the way of her neck. The swelling had caused the burns on her cheek and neck to seem worse than they were, so I only placed the same cooling spell. There was no doubt that it would all scar, there was no helping that, and I wasn't about to break my back to make sure she was healthy. I just knew that if I let her die in my care He would not be impressed, still so greedily looking for Potter.

When I had finished, I gripped her chin.

"In a month's time He will be back and He _will_ kill you, Granger. That, or you'll end up like the Longbottoms and you'll be used for unsavoury things within his kingdom. There is no happy ending here, you are no longer the hero of this fucked up story." She pulled away from me desperately, but in her weakened state my strength was far more superior. "Either you give up Potter, Granger, or the Dark Lord will exhaust no measures burning down the Wizarding world once you are dead. You are quite literally his last incentive and once he kills you there will be no stopping him from destroying everything."

"And what, you'd like me to make your life easier by giving up my best friend to this man for the millionth time?" She forced a chuckle, which I could see pained her. We were so good at playacting these days. "If _Voldemort_ couldn't have killed Harry when he was infant, I doubt he'll ever get the chance."

I sighed, pushing her chin away roughly.

"Have it your way, Granger; I can't wait to attend your funeral." I left my crouched position, standing over where she was sprawled on the marble floor, her hair once again making a halo of curls around her head. I was beginning to think that I was developing an obsession with Granger's appearance, no matter how beaten up it was.

After a moment passed, I flicked my wand at her dress.

" _Reparo_." She looked puzzled as the fabric knit itself back together, the leather corset melding into a cohesive piece again.

"I'd like my other clothes back, Malfoy."

"No."

I left her there, walking out of her prison to find the Eater leaning against the wall on the other side of the doors, playing with a dagger. He grinned at me, casting a glance towards the general direction of Granger and I nodded.

"Your services are not needed for tonight," I told him in an even voice. "Be back by sunrise." His eyes widened but he took no time scampering off to some end of the Manor to enjoy himself after months of looking after Granger.

When he was gone, I took post and stood in front of the double doors, my back leaning against where they joined. I could hear the stones talking to me, whispering nonsensical things about Granger and the Dark Lord. No doubt the portraits upstairs were rioting in joy after having the same Mudblood tortured in their home again. I was glad my father killed himself on days like this, knowing full well that he would have done much worse to Granger by now.

The stones went quiet after a couple of hours of standing there, and as they did that I began to hear human sounds through the doors. I turned my head slightly so that I could lay my ear against it, listening to Granger.

Not before long I heard gasps of pain - I assumed she was trying to move herself off the floor - and a singular moan. Even now she was so stubborn as to keep her pain to herself. I was amazed by the sheer Gryffindor of it all. I liked imagining Granger more and more as a lioness, it detached me from the fact that she was indeed human.

One more gasp and a thunderstorm began inside her cell. I could feel it through the ground as she pounded her fists against it, sobbing and yelling words I could not understand. It went on for another hour before the cyclone of what was most likely her emotional magic calmed itself and she reverted to snivelling quietly. She was such a strange woman, I never knew what to think of her.

Before I left, the hum of her magic returned to the house and I smiled slightly. It seemed that Granger would survive us just yet.

The week dragged on and I found myself drifting more and more down to Granger's cell, only to stand outside and guard it. The Eater was grateful to be given so much leave and his freedom was his incentive to keep silent about my intrigue. I knew he was smart, it was why I put him down there, and so I had no worries about whether or not he would badmouth me to the others.

I did not know whether Granger could sense my presence, but it seemed to me that the hum of her magic heightened when I leant against the great doors. I wondered if she could feel it, too. It seemed to grow over time, like she was preparing for a great escape by infusing the stones with her wandless specialties. She had reigned it in when He came, which showed somewhat how smart she was, but now it was coming full force.

"What are you _planning_ , Granger?" I muttered to the door, looking skeptically at it.

The _silencio_ Severus had cast weeks ago was still in place and I was quite enjoying the silence, the magical vibrations my only soundtrack. I could tell the other Eaters had noticed it, looking quizzically at me anytime I emerged from the dungeons. The female Eaters had an inkling to what was going on, but the men seemed oblivious to my odd relationship with Granger these past months.

Counting to myself how long she had been in my dungeon, it was rounding to five months and it amazed me that almost half a year had gone by with no incident from her. The magical build up she was creating had to reach its peak at some point, and I wondered what would come crashing down on us all when it did.

* * *

In a week's time the Dark Lord would be on my doorstep waiting for Granger's information and she had yet to succumb to telling me anything, despite making my presence known often in the dungeon. I'd begun to spend my time inside her cell, watching her as she returned to pacing as she had done in her first month. It was almost amusing.

"Your hobbies are so interesting to me, Granger," I told her one day and she glared at me before continuing, trying her hardest to ignore my presence. "You _should_ be deciding what you'll tell the Dark Lord when he comes. I'm sure he'll be happy to know you've thought of him."

"Sod _off_ , Malfoy, I don't have time to listen to you droning in my ear." She crossed her arms, pushing up her breasts again and I ogled her deliberately, wanting to make her uncomfortable. I had no work to do today and so I decided to annoy her as much as possible. It reminded me of our school days. "Don't you have something better to do than stare at my tits all day, Malfoy?"

"Not really, it's an enjoyable pastime." I pushed off from my place against the wall and came towards the cage wall, bringing up my left arm to lean against it instead. "Your Eater guard did well in choosing an outfit, Granger, I should appreciate his work."

She smirked, looking back at me languidly.

"Yes, well, unfortunate for you and _very_ fortunate for him, you didn't get to see them." I cocked an eyebrow.

"What, did you put on a show? Sorry I missed it."

"The bastard wouldn't leave my cell as I changed so it wasn't my choice." She stopped, huffing and throwing her arms up in frustration. "Why the hell are you even down here, Malfoy? Don't think I don't notice that it's you on the other side of the door; I can feel your magic, and it's definitely more powerful than the feel of a measly Death Eater." She turned to me, looking pointedly.

I sighed.

"I'm bored, Granger, I need something to do. At the moment you are the highest form of entertainment in this building." She snorted, rolling her eyes.

"Figures. Six years of being unable to stand my presence and now you _crave_ it." She raised one of her thick brown brows. "Can't you find one of your captives to… _entertain_ you? I'm sure they'll show you much more affection."

I laughed aloud at the idea. Granger was so comfortable to talk to when she was trapped behind bars.

"I'd never stoop so low as to let any one of them touch me, I can assure you of that."

"Ah yes, mummy will only let you have a Pureblood, I forgot." She flashed me a fake smile, chuckling. I swallowed, denying her a reaction to the comment about my mother, who had made herself scarce from my present in recent times. She was unhappy with Granger's presence, if not for what it had done to the atmosphere in the house, then for the visit of the Dark Lord. Mother found his visits stressful and needed me to calm her down after them. After I had healed Granger, I'd spent the day with my mother to get her emotional levels back to normal. "I'm sure she'd be disappointed to know how much time you spend stalking me."

"It's not stalking if I am your jailor, Granger," I reminded her with a smirk of my own. Again, felt so much like the days at old Hogwarts.

"Details." She sighed, pinching her nose bridge. "You ogling me all day isn't going to help me come up with a proposal for Voldemort, now is it? _Hmm_?" She produced a sickly sweet smile, imitating the man she spoke of and I frowned. "Oh, but my _dear_ Draco, won't you _help_ me?" She walked forward flicking her hair over her shoulder. It was very unlike her and I only watched her with narrowed eyes as she came up to the bars. It was unlike our first conversation where she spat slurs at me and I made her bleed; we'd gotten more civil as time went by but were still far from being friendly.

I thought she was attractive and she thought I was a git, so it was an almost companionable exchange.

What she was doing at this moment, however, was something I would have expected from Lavender Brown in sixth year, before the unfortunate incident with Greyback during the battle. He'd killed many that night and it still made me sick to think of all those bodies.

Snapping myself out of the memory, I looked down at Granger, who mocked my stance by leaning as close as she could to me. I could hear the sound of her magic radiating off her skin and it caused me to stiffen.

"The stones talk to me, Draco, and they tell me such…enticing things." Granger batted her thick brown lashes at me, gifting me with a blinding smile and - despite it being all a game - I swallowed. It was her turn, then, to reach through the bars and touch me, placing a hand on my chest lightly, tracing a line across my sternum. "Your house isn't good at keeping secrets at all, not even from a _dirty_ Mudblood like me."

"What's your game here, Granger?" I asked quietly.

"No _game_ , Draco," she said sweetly. She played with the placket of my dress shirt, fondling a button, all the while grinning devilishly. "It gets awfully lonely down here, and as I've said, that Eater isn't the best to look at."

I leaned into her touch and willed myself to come closer to her face, the two of us now nose to nose through the bars.

"We Malfoys pride ourself in our good genes, Granger," I replied, my voice low. Her brown locks had forced themselves to my side and I reached my elevated hand to grab at one, fiddling with it mindlessly.

She hummed, obviously amused by how I was reacting to it all.

Merciful Merlin, I was flirting with Hermione Granger.

And I didn't care.

_Fuck._

Suddenly, before I could react, she had pulled hard on my shirt, balling the fabric into her first as she forced her mouth onto mine. Her mouth was hot and it was the most delicious experience of my life. The hand that had played with her hair wrapped around the base of her skull and I pulled her painfully against the hard metal of her cage, our bodies practically melding into the bars to be closer.

Hermione's hand left my chest and went searching down my torso, running wild as she made a journey of my body. And _Merlin_ the noises she was making. I'd decided by this point I didn't care if she was manipulating me, I hadn't had a good snog in a long while and this, _this_ was the best I'd had in years.

Figures the most famous Mudblood would be my undoing.

Unbeknownst to me, Granger's hand had found its way into my cloak and grasped my wand, yanking it from its sheath before pushing against me, hurling herself away from the kiss as I stumbled a few feet back. I was too surprised to register what had happened until she cried out in pain, looking in horror at the wand in her right hand. Wiping my mouth, I started to laugh as she shot her gaze back to me, swaying slightly on her feet. She tried to pry the wand from her hand, but the spikes that had shot of the handle stayed in her skin, blood starting to seep out.

"What…?" Granger struggled to say. I laughed even harder.

"One can't be too careful about their wand now, can they, Granger?" I could tell she was fighting to stay upright. "A trick I learned in Knockturn Alley as a boy. The spikes contain a sedative, nothing more. You'll be asleep for some time." She attempted to glare at me and it truly was a sight. "Oh, Granger, I do hope your dead husband saw that; it was quite a show."

I watched her drop to her knees as she pathetically tried to keep eye contact with me as I still stood there, arms crossed, chuckling at her attempt to escape.

"Bastard," she choked out before her eyes rolled into the back of her head, her body collapsing to the cold floor. Her arms had buckled underneath her into what looked like the most uncomfortable position I had ever seen, but I decided to let her suffer the muscle cramps later, waving a hand to open the cage. I walked towards her and knelt like I had when I healed her, instead this time I pried my wand out of her hand, the spikes retracting as my skin made contact. Her blood was on the hilt and was now flowing freely onto the marble floor but I paid no attention to it. Her face was pressing painfully into the stone floor and I turned it so that she wouldn't suffocate, studying the burn scars on her face. The angular pattern that it made marred her beautiful features and I sighed.

"Oh, Granger, how far you have fallen."

I left her there until the end of the week, knowing she wouldn't wake from the induced slumber until I allowed her to. **  
**

* * *

I awoke abruptly to the sound of everything crashing down around me, a loud thunder coming from the lower floors of my Manor. Bleary eyed, I shot out of bed, grabbing my wand from the bedside table. Scrambling to put trousers on, I summoned my rucksack with all things important to me, throwing on the cloak near my door before emerging into the chaos of what was once my home. There were Eaters running around everywhere, shouting and holding their belongings and not searching the place with their wands out like I was.

I almost smacked myself in my stupidity.

_Granger._

She must have awoken from her coma of her own will.

"Hold the fort, all of you!" I demanded, shouting at them all as they ran past me with wide eyes. Knowing I would be punished if I didn't, I pressed my wand to my left forearm, summoning the Dark Lord.

She was going to die. If I didn't kill her myself, she was going to die.

Running down several staircases to reach her, my mind raced.

I should have known she would do it this night, the night before the Dark Lord was going to give her one last chance. I shouldn't have been so blind to not notice what the hell she had in mind - I thought that I was smarter than her but this proved me entirely wrong. I growled, reaching the staircase to go to the dungeons as stones and parts of the foundation fell around me.

Walking past the cells, I saw that most of the cells were empty, the magicked iron broken open, whereas as some cowered in the corners of their stone prison. Taking long strides, I made my way to her cage, only to be met by the sight of her stalking out of it, her body glowing with a gold aura, hair flying and dress whipping in the cyclone of magic. I stared at her for a moment before moving towards her.

I heard cracks from above and knew they weren't from the ceiling, but from the arrival of apparition. I swore and pointed my wand at her.

" _Stupefy!_ "

Her eyes widened as the red spell shot towards her, and the aura around her dissipated for a moment before she continued advancing down the hallway.

"Dammit, Granger!" I said, running towards her. "He's here, there's nothing you can do to stop this." Around me there were crashes as chunks of cement and marble flew around her. I ducked as one came for my head.

"Get the hell out of my way, Malfoy!" She said, her eyes flashing with something dark.

As she neared closer to me I shot my arm out towards her, grabbing her shoulder, which sent a shot of electricity up my arm. I let out a shout of pain before doing it again, not caring that it was even stronger this time.

"Merlin, Granger, I'm trying to _help_ you!" I yelled into her face, her honey brown eyes narrowing as she looked at me. "I can get you out, I promise."

_Why am I doing this?_ I asked myself and her face conveyed the same question.

"Malfoy, if you help me you are dead."

"We're probably both dead now, Granger, so at this point I don't give a flying fuck."

My hand still on her shoulder, I pulled her towards me harshly, wrapping my arm around her neck. Reading upon Muggle martial arts helped me learn a few non-magical tricks and I quickly put Granger in a sleeper hold. I growled as her magic fought back, biting into my skin painfully, causing the flesh to slice open. It was similar to the spell Potter cast at me in sixth year. Cutting off her blood flow, I felt her body go limp, the golden aura fading slightly. I struggled to cast a Disillusionment spell on the both of us, but eventually felt the feeling of liquid running down me. Looking down at Granger, for once she seemed almost peaceful, but I waisted no time hoisting her into my arms before running full force towards the main foyer.

_You are an idiot, Draco, you are a right foul git and you are making the most idiotic decision of your life_. _What the hell are you doing?_

I couldn't think straight, I only ran through my home until I reached the front doors. I could not see where the Dark Lord was, only heard people yelling and screaming around me as the ceiling came down, the force of the movement catapulting me forward. The weight of Granger - however little it was considering she was underweight - did nothing to help as I stumbled out the front doors, already destroyed. I kept running, the ground under my feet rumbling. Despite being unconscious, Granger's magic still reigned supreme over the Manor and I looked back to see all the windows shatter to the inside.

I almost smiled at the damage she was doing, it was quite tremendous to know she had so much power without her wand. I hoped I would never meet the end of it when she did finally get it back.

Reaching the large black gates, I let go of her legs, freeing my wand hand. I pointed the instrument at her and sighed, smoothing back her curls. The disillusionment spell dissipated before I brought her from unconsciousness.

" _Rennervate_."

She awoke with a gasp, alarm passing over her face as she realized whose arms she was in. Granger paused for a moment, her mouth opening in shock.

"Malfoy…" She failed to find the words, the wind whipping at the both of us, my cloak flying around our bodies. Her eyes began to fill with tears as she looked up at me, an unreadable emotion in her eyes. I let go of her and she faltered slightly, her hand touching the gate. We said nothing until I did something equally as stupid as helping her.

I handed her my wand and she began to refuse, but I thrust it into her palms. The spikes did not shoot out as the instrument recognized that it was being given willingly.

"Take it. Take it and go, Granger."

She looked at me for a moment, her honey brown eyes wide, the rims reddened with tears of determination. There was a split second where she reached forward and grasped my forearm tightly, forcing me to stare into her eyes for longer than I wished. Granger was silent for a moment, only searching my face for an expression that she could understand.

"Thank you, Draco. Thank you." Granger leaned her head into mine and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. I was stunned, but a large crash resonated in my brain, bringing me back.

"Go, you idiot," I hissed. She paused, tears welling in her eyes. " _Hermione._ Go!"

She squeezed my arm once more and turned, but in a moment of stupidity I pulled her back, wrapping my hand around her neck, kissing her long and hard. After I felt my mouth start to bruise, I let her go. She did cry then and I stared at her hard before pushing her away from me.

I yelled at her to go one last time, and she finally did, wrenching open the gate.

Granger looked back one last time before running down my drive, past the apparition wards. She was no longer close enough to make eye contact, but I knew she was looking at me as she turned on the spot, the crack sounding as my house collapsed. Granger was gone and everything in my world fell apart.

I never saw her again.


End file.
